[NEW] What Is the Present Tense? | the present – NATAVIGUIDES

What Is the Present Tense? (with Examples)

The present tense is a

• I

  swim

  in the sea every Saturday.

(This is a current activity.)

• I

  am

  happy.

(This is a current state of being)

• The meeting

  ends

  at 6 o’clock.

(This is a future activity.)

• A man

  walks

  into a bar. Ouch!

(This is a past activity.)

The

Examples of the Types of Present Tense

The present tense is categorized further depending on whether the action is in progress or completed (called the

The 4 Present Tenses
Examples
Uses

simple present tense

• I go.
• I like chocolate.
• The train gets in at 5 o’clock.
• A horse walks into a bar, and the barman says, “why the long face?”

The simple present tense is used:

(1) To describe facts and habits.

(2) To describe scheduled events in the future.

(3) To tell stories to make your listener or reader feel more engaged with the story.
present_progressive tense

• I am going.
• Barny is looking for the latest brochure.

The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present.

present perfect tense

• I have gone.
• David has worked alongside two of the world’s finest scientists in the field of entomology.

The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that began in the past and are still continuing into the present.

present perfect progressive

• I have been going.
• Julie has been relying on a pay rise to pay her student loan.

The present perfect progressive tense is used for:

(1) a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or
(2) a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).

A Video Summary

Here is a video summarizing this lesson on the present tense.

The present tense is a verb tense used to describe a current activity or state of being. However, somewhat unusually, the present tense can also be used to describe past and future activities. For example:The tense of a verb is determined by when the action took place. This page is about the present tense. Here are links to the other two tenses:The present tense is categorized further depending on whether the action is in progress or completed (called the aspect of a verb). The four present tenses are:Here is a video summarizing this lesson on the present tense.

More about the Simple Present Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the simple present tense.

Examples of the Simple Present Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the simple present tense.

base form

or

or

base form

+

“s”

• I

  play

  every Tuesday

• My family

  goes

  to France every summer.

• Between two evils, I always

  pick

  the one I have never tried before.

• Before I

  refuse

  to take your questions, I

  have

  an opening statement. (US President Ronald Reagan)

• I

  like

  the word indolence. It

  makes

  my laziness

  seem

  classy. (Philosopher Bernard Williams)

• I

  love

  deadlines. I

  like

  the whooshing sound they

  make

  as they

  fly by

  . (Author Douglas Adams)

• I

  base

  most of my fashion taste on what

  doesn’t itch

  . (Comedian Gilda Radner)

• War

  does not determine

  who

  is

  right – only who

  is

  left. (Philosopher Bertrand Russell)

Read more about the simple present tense and its spelling rules.

More about the Present Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present progressive tense.

Examples of the Present Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present progressive tense.

“am,” “is,” or “are”

+

[present participle]

• I

  am playing

  at the moment.

• I

  am not getting

  any younger!

• My family

  is emigrating

  to Australia next June.

• People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they

  are doing

  . (Author Dale Carnegie)

• I am not afraid of storms for I

  am learning

  how to sail my ship. (Author Louisa May Alcott)

• I

  am returning

  this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.

• A lot of good arguments are spoiled by some fool who knows what he

  is talking

  about. (Playwright Miguel de Unamuno)

• A fellow who

  is always declaring

  he’s no fool usually has his suspicions. (Playwright Wilson Mizner)

(Note that adverbs (here, ) sometimes appear between the verb “to be” (here, ) and the present participle (here, ).)

• As long as you

  ‘re having

  fun, that’s the key. The moment it becomes a grind, it’s over. (Singer Barry Gibb)

• Middle age is when you

  ‘re sitting

  at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. (Poet Ogden Nas)

• I

  ‘m leaving

  because the weather is too good. I hate London when it

  ‘s not raining

  . (Comedian Groucho Marx)

Read more about the present progressive tense.

More about the Present Perfect Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect tense.

Examples of the Present Perfect Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect tense.

“has” or “have”

+

[past participle]

• I

  have played

  for his team before.

• Don’t take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent

  has taken

  the right side.

• Poets

  have been

  mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

• If I

  have seen

  further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. (Physicist Isaac Newton)

• Only the dead

  have seen

  the end of the war. (Philosopher George Santayana)

• It

  has been

  my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. (US President Abraham Lincoln)

• Like all great travellers, I

  have seen

  more than I remember, and remember more than I

  have seen

  . (British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli)

• I

  have taken

  more out of alcohol than alcohol

  has taken

  out of me.

• I may not

  have gone

  where I intended to go, but I think I

  have ended up

  where I intended to be. (Author Douglas Adams)

• I

  ‘ve failed

  over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. (Basketball star Michael Jordan)

• Our scientific power

  has outrun

  our spiritual power. We

  have guided

  missiles and

  misguided

  men. (Activist Martin Luther King Jr)

Read more about the present perfect tense.

More about the Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect progressive tense.

Examples of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Here is an infographic summarizing the present perfect progressive tense.

“has been” or “have been”

+

[present participle]

• I

  have been playing

  for a year.

• Fiona

  has not been playing

  well for 2 months.

• My grandparents

  have been living

  in this house for 50 years.

• Mary

  has been relying

  on a pay rise to pay her credit card bills.

• We

  have been learning

  since we were children how to make money, buy things, and build things. The whole education system is set up to teach us how to think, not to feel. (Comedian Yakov Smirnoff)

• My son

  has been laughing

  at inappropriate situations for the past two years.

• While I thought that I was learning how to live, I

  have been learning

  how to die. (Polymath Leonardo da Vinci)

• Well, I think money

  has been going

  into political campaigns for a very long time. (Businesswoman Carly Fiorina)

• I

  have been doing

  marriage counseling for about 15 years and I realized that what makes one person feel loved, doesn’t make another person feel loved. (Author Gary Chapman)

• Either I

  ‘ve been

  something or nothing

  has been going on

  .

Read more about the present perfect progressive tense.

Verb Tense Widget

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a , then you can click it!

to

base form

(

verb)

verb)

Select the tenses.

Present Tenses

Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is mostly used to describe facts and habits. More…(opens new tab)
I base form
you base form
he/she/it 3rd pers sing present
we base form
you base form
they base form

Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present.
More…(opens new tab)
I am present participle
you are present participle
he/she/it is present participle
we are present participle
you are present participle
they are present participle

Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used for actions that began in the past. (Often, the actions continue into the present.)
More…(opens new tab)
I have past participle
you have past participle
he/she/it has past participle
we have past participle
you have past participle
they have past participle

Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The present perfect progressive tense is used for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).
More…(opens new tab)
I have been present participle
you have been present participle
he/she/it has been present participle
we have been present participle
you have been present participle
they have been present participle

Past Tenses

Simple Past
The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past.
More…(opens new tab)
I past tense
you past tense
he/she/it past tense
we past tense
you past tense
they past tense

Past Progressive Tense
The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
More…(opens new tab)
I was present participle
you were present participle
he/she/it was present participle
we were present participle
you were present participle
they were present participle

Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place.
More…(opens new tab)
I had past participle
you had past participle
he/she/it had past participle
we had past participle
you had past participle
they had past participle

Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.
More…(opens new tab)
I had been present participle
you had been present participle
he/she/it had been present participle
we had been present participle
you had been present participle
they had been present participle

Future Tenses

Simple Future
The simple future tense is used for an action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will base form
you will base form
he/she/it will base form
we will base form
you will base form
they will base form

Future Progressive Tense
The future progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will be present participle
you will be present participle
he/she/it will be present participle
we will be present participle
you will be present participle
they will be present participle

Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have past participle
you will have past participle
he/she/it will have past participle
we will have past participle
you will have past participle
they will have past participle

Future Perfect Progressive Tense
The future perfect progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.
More…(opens new tab)
I will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
he/she/it will have been present participle
we will have been present participle
you will have been present participle
they will have been present participle

Slider Showing All the Tenses

The following slider shows all 12

Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there’s a button, a drop-down menu, or a, then you can click it!The following slider shows all 12 tenses . All the present tenses are highlighted with a yellow background.

Spelling Tip

In the present simple 3rd person singular (he, she, it), add s, es, or ies to the base form of the verb.

• To regular verbs just add an s – Ex: travel >travels, give > gives, play >plays
• To verbs that end in s, ss, sh, ch, x, and o, add an es – Ex: wash > washes, mix > mixes, go >goes
• To verbs end in y after a consonant (any letter that isn’t a vowel), change the y to i and add es. Ex: study > studies, fly > flies

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Sometimes the present simple tense doesn’t seem very simple. Here we will sort it all out for you!

We use the present simple tense to express the following ideas:

1. To state facts or general truths
2. To express habits or customs
3. To relate future plans (often regarding programs and timetables)
4. To tell jokes and stories or to report sporting events in real time.

Examples of the Present Simple

1. The sun sets in the west.
2. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
3. They move into their new home next week.
4. So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
5. Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.

Forming the Present Simple

Subject
verb
rest of sentence

I / You / We / They
sleep
late on Saturdays

He / She / It
goes
to the beach every weekend

Time Expressions in the Present Simple

The most common time expressions in the present simple are: usually, always, never, on Wednesdays, every Wednesday, twice a week, once a month, in general, every other day.

Time expressions made up of one word are placed between the subject and the verb in positive sentences and questions and between the auxiliary verb and main verb in negative sentences.

1. I always study hard for exams.
2. Do you usually speak to him like that?

Time expressions made up of two or more words are placed either at the beginning or the end of a sentence and usually at the end of questions.

1. Ben goes to football practice every Tuesday.
2. In general, I believe that all people can live in peace.
3. you go to the supermarket every week?

Negative Sentences in the Present Simple Tense

Spelling Tip

When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an apostrophe (‘) does not > doesn’t

When creating negative sentences, we usually use the auxiliary verbs don’t and doesn’t + the base form of the verb.

Note: Save the long forms (do not, and does not) for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.

Subject
auxillery verb
verb in base form
rest of sentence

I / You / We / They
don’t (do not)
eat
late at night

He / She / It
doesn’t (does not)
watch
TV every day

1. I don’t like the food they serve at that restaurant.
2. Jim doesn’t work on Fridays.
3. My friends don’t usually leave so early.
4. I do not want to go with you!

Yes/No Questions in the Present Simple

Punctuation Tip

Always begin a sentence, question and wh-question with a capital letter:
He always does good work.
Do you like me?
What did they bring you?

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Do or Does, then add a subject (the person or thing that does the action) followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Auxiliary Verb
subject
verb in base form
rest of sentence

Do
I / you / we / they
drive
to the city on Mondays

Does
he / she / it
break down
often

1. Do you surf the Internet every day?
2. Does your boss give you positive feedback?
3. Does Jonathan always turn off the lights?
4. Don’t you ever clean your room?

Note: In the Present Simple tense:

1. You may add a one-word time expression, such as ‘always’, ‘usually’, or ‘often’ between the subject and the verb.
2. You may use a negative question with a time expression such as ‘ever’.

Wh-Questions in the Present Simple

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.

To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add do or does, then the subject (a person or thing that does the action), followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh-Word
Auxiliary Verb
Subject
Verb in Base Form
Rest of Sentence

What
do
I / you / we / they
want

Why
does
he / she / it
shout
at you

1. When do you want to meet me?
2. Why does Beth always complain so much?
3. How much does the ticket cost?
4. Why don’t you ever go on vacation?

Tag Questions in the Present Simple

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They are used just to make sure the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to emphasize what you said.

They’re formed either by using a regular sentence in the present simple and adding don’t or doesn’t and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.

1. John likes me, doesn’t he?
2. All those girls speak French, don’t they?

You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.

1. Keisha doesn’t speak Spanish, does she
2. Those boys don’t play sports, do they?

As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

Exercises for the Present Simple

Fill in the correct form of the verb as in the examples.

1. Mark and Sara

   play

   squash twice a week. (play)

2. Sheila

   doesn’t do

   the family accounts. (not do) Her husband does them.

3. Does

   Gillian usually

   meet

   clients so late at night? (meet)

1. Every year his family ____________ to Europe for two weeks. (go)
2. Tammy and Jen ______________ a Pilates class on Wednesday mornings.(take)
3. __________ that airline __________ to Paris? (fly)
4. The semester _____________ until the end of June. (not finish)
5. Tony usually _________ to call his mother in the mornings. (try)
6. _______________ for your car expenses? (Who/pay)
7. The shops ___________ until 21:00. (not close)
8. Gerard _________ the ball and __________ it into the net. (receive/kick)
9. _________times a day _____ you _____ your dogs for a walk? (take)
10. ________ he always ________ his cell phone for long distance calls? (use)

Answers:

1. goes
2. take
3. Does/fly
4. doesn’t finish
5. tries
6. Who pays
7. don’t close
8. receives/kicks
9. How many/do/take
10. Does/use

Examples – Present Simple

Positive

1. The sun sets in the west.
2. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
3. They move into their new home next week.
4. So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
5. Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.
6. I always study hard for exams.
7. Do you usually speak to him like that?
8. Ben goes to football practice every Tuesday.
9. In general, I believe that all people can live in peace.
10. Do you go to the supermarket every week?

Negative

1. I don’t like the food they serve at that restaurant.
2. Jim doesn’t work on Fridays.
3. My friends don’t usually leave so early.
4. I do not want to go with you!

Yes/No Questions

1. Do you surf the Internet every day?
2. Does your boss give you positive feedback?
3. Does Jonathan always turn off the lights?
4. Don’t you ever clean your room?

Wh Questions

1. When do you want to meet me?
2. Why does Beth always complain so much?
3. How much does the ticket cost?
4. Why don’t you ever go on vacation?

Tag Questions

1. John likes me, doesn’t he?
2. All those girls speak French, don’t they?
3. Keisha doesn’t speak Spanish, does she?
4. Those boys don’t play sports, do they?

Would you like to learn more? Click here to learn how to properly use quotation marks